Inspired Song: Just Fishin' by Trace Adkins (I kind of twisted the meaning of the song a little.)
Chapter Forty Five- She Thinks We're Just Fishing
"Ahhh!!" Lily giggled as Rupert threw her over the side of Dan's boat, and into the water, where Timber was treading water happily.
I smiled as I leaned against the side and enjoyed the feel of the wind in my face. The day was toasty warm as the sun was high up in the clear blue sky. Despite my immediate response to being invited, I was glad that I had come. Tom and I had kept a good, reasonable distance between us, but we could have a playful conversation with each other. It was easier talking with him; it would probably feel effortless if it wasn't for the clear light amount of tension that hung above the group.
That tension would fade from time to time, mostly because of Lily being around. It was still there though, and you could practically see the burning curiosity to ask questions, that were not for Lily's ears, in Rupert and Dan's eyes.
"Cas you want one?" Dan asked, his hand half in the cooler of beer and water.
I brushed some of the flying hair behind my ear and shook my head, "No, thanks."
Lately every time I thought of alcohol I ended thinking back to Will. I was disappointed in him. More than I had ever been disappointed with someone; including my father. For once I thought we could be friends, but it just seems as if someone really wants to keep us far away from each other. Which might, in the long run, be safer and easier.
"You sure?" He said as he sat down next to me.
"Yep," I shrugged, watching as Tom helped Lily and Timber out of the water, "just not feeling it today."
Rupert rolled his eyes and scoffed as he began to re-sort fishing stuff. I had the thought to kick his back side off into the water. I laughed to myself at the thought and pulled my sunglasses back over my eyes.
"What's so hilarious?" Dan asked from next to me, and I just shook my head.
"Mummy! Mummy did you see me?!" Lily asked as she walked over to me, dripping wet.
I grabbed her arms and squeezed them lightly, "Yeah, did you see how high he threw you?"
She nodded enthusiastically and I laughed before I pinched her nose saying, "You are my little dare devil."
Lily giggled before she sat herself down at my feet and began to pet a panting Timber.
"Well I am tired of standing here in the sun!" Tom said as he pulled his shirt above his head and threw it to the side.
I pushed my sun glasses on top of my head and asked, "Isn't all of this swimming," I nodded my head at the now shirtless Tom, which would have affected me more if the last night had not happened, "Scaring away the fish?"
The lake we resorted in was empty besides the five of us. I spent very little time wondering why we were the only ones and more time wondering how the hot sun never failed to warm me.
Tom smirked at me and shrugged as he kicked off this flip flops and dove off into the water.
I looked over to Dan, "That wasn't an answer to my question."
Dan rolled his eyes as Rupert beckoned me over to him, "Come here I'll show you."
"Show me?" I asked incredulously. What did they have a fish radar?
Rupert sighed, annoyed, and nodded me over.
I looked down to see Lily smiling at the scene, as her small hands ran through Timber's chocolaty fur.
I rolled my eyes and left my comfortable perch walking over to Mr. Hot head.
I placed my hands on my hip, "Now what oh mighty one?" I mocked as Rupert hunched over the radio next to the steering wheel.
Dan snickered behind us and I turned my torso to give him a confused stare. He just reclined back and placed the bottle to his lips, a undecipherable glint in his eye.
"Well," Rupert said bringing my attention back to him. He stood up straight beside me and was pointing down at the screen on his phone to a page that was so confusing it looked like a legal document. "This is a-"
I didn't hear the rest of his fake explanation for my scream drowned all else. Rupert had picked me up by the waist and threw me over board.
I resurfaced the cold water with a glare and the rest of my company in a round of laughter. Tom swam around me with an adamant smile on his lips, his teeth so bright from the reflection of the sun. I shook my head at him disapprovingly and he smiled wider before splashing me then quickly dipping under the water.
I recoiled backwards, only slightly shocked by the action, before I dove down and clawed at his naked chest.
Tom sprang up out of the water, kicking away from me screaming "Ow! She is going to kill me!"
I just smiled at his playful attitude and gazed up to a smirking Rupert. My smile dissolved as soon as it appeared and I diverted my eyes from his, shaking my head. This was just what he was trying to do; put Tom and I back together.
Tom smiled at me as he smoothed his hair back. I held back an eye roll and opened my mouth, preparing to say something rude about Rupert, when something brushed up against my leg, and all that came out was a scream.
As fast as my legs could, I swam over to Tom and climbed my way around him to his back. "What the hell was that?!" I asked shakily, can there be sharks in a lake?
Tom chuckled beneath me, as Dan shook his head from the safety of the boat. Lily giggled as she leaned over the side. "It's was fishy!"
I loosened my grip on Tom's shoulder. "Huh?"
"What did we come here for Cas?" Rupert sighed dramatically as he lounged in the driver's seat.
Suddenly it clicked in my head, apparently fish still swim around you even if you disturb their environment. So I was never one for swimming in a lake, sue me.
"Well apparently we came here to swim, since that is the only thing we have seemed to accomplish!" I said stubbornly as Tom hooked his arms beneath my knees and swam us over to the ladder of the boat.
"Oh your just being a bad sport." Dan said dismissively.
As I clung to my soon-to-be-ex husband's neck I wondered, Why did I agree to this again?
"Daddy this is boring." Lily complained.
Tom brushed her hair back as she sat in his lap, both of their legs hanging off the edge of the boat a fishing rod between both of their pairs of hands. He sighed, "You have to be patient Koala."
"One of her worst qualities." Rupert said, holding his own fishing rod in his palms.
Lily stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned the favor.
Silence chased the following moments. I relaxed against the boat, smiling slightly at father-daughter bonding time, and bathing in the sun.
"Hey Tom," Dan said as he placed his phone in his pocket, "How is the project coming along?"
Hesitantly I looked over to Tom, waiting to see his reaction. His eyebrows furrowed together as he caressed Lily's arm softly and looked down at her blonde hair and bit his bottom lip.
I didn't understand his reaction. Months ago, when he first accepted the job, he was happy. No, not just happy, he was ecstatic. He was dancing around the kitchen going on and on about how this was going to be the next big thing and how he was going to be a part of it.
Tom cleared his throat and said, smiling at Dan softly, "It's going well."
My curious gaze followed him as he kissed the top of Lily's head. His eyes slowly drifted over to mine, as if I had called him. Instead of diverting my gaze, like I should have, I stared back into his gray gaze. There was some emotion in them that I couldn't understand.
His gaze flowed down slowly before he returned his attention to Lily.
Late that night, I walked ahead of Tom to the front door of the house. I looked behind me to see Tom still walking with a sleeping Lily in his arms. "Are you sure you don't want her for the night?" I asked again as I opened the front door and stepped inside, him following me.
He shook his head as he headed for the stairs. "No, it's better if she sleeps in her own bed."
I slowly walked behind him and watched from the hallway as he tucked Lily into her bed and turned on her night light before kissing her forehead. He walked over to me and closed her door slightly. His eyes shyly looked into mine as the left side of his lips twitched upward.
He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before he sighed and headed back down the stairs. Blinking quickly and shaking my head to clarity, I followed him.
He kept walking until his hand was resting on the door knob. He paused a moment, before turning back around licking his lips as I stood on the last step.
"About last night..." He started, staring at the floor, but I didn't let him finish.
I shook my head, "I'm sorry."
His head snapped up, eyes wide, "What?"
I shrugged, "I'm sorry. I should never have kissed you." I bit the inside of my cheek as I hesitantly rested my gaze on his.
He shook his head, "No." My lips parted and my eyes narrowed. I was shaking my head without conscious recollection of telling it to shake. He took a step forward, his eyes determined. "Don't say that."
"It was a mistake." I said slowly, wondering how he did not understand that we were being idiots.
He shook his head in quick, sharp, movements , "I don't regret it."
I sighed as I stepped down the final step. "In a way I don't either...But it was stupid and reckless. It was a mistake." I said a bit more assertively.
His jaw locked tight at my words and his eyes grew hard. Quickly he turned on his heel and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
I felt as if I had been doused with cold water. I shivered as the darkness of the house finally registered in my mind. It was the coldest I had felt all day, and it seemed to chase away all of the warmth that had been there only moments ago.